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Demons (Tartarians)
Demons are creatures that reside in the various Tartarian Planes, or the Circles of Hell. They are either fallen angels corrupted by the nature of their place of residence, or creatures whose souls have been warped through dark magic. Variations Demons come in an enormous variety of different forms. So many, in fact, that classification is quite difficult. Some demonic archetypes are common enough that they are able to be properly classified, but there are so many, that they are usually just divided into categories ranking their relative power. Demon Princes Main Article: Demon Princes The Seven Demon Princes are the most powerful beings in the Tartarian Planes, once members of the Seraphim, the mightiest angels with the Empyrean Realms. They are nigh-omnipotent beings, so powerful that any significant portion of their essence causes most vessels they possess to explode. In order for portals to be opened and allow them into the material world, truly massive amounts of energy need to be released. Demon Lords Main Article: Demon Lords Demon lords were almost all once powerful angels, with a rare few having been mortals who climbed high through the ranks of the pits of Hell. They are truly godlike in their power, most mortal vessels they possess need to be strengthened before any significant portion of their energies can be employed, and take enormous rifts in space to be able to fully transport themselves to the material realm. Greater Demons Main Article: Greater Demons Greater Demons are mostly fairly potent former angels, though a large portion of them were once human souls. Very, very few mundane beings are capable of standing against them, and their power is demigod like. Unless steps are taken to strengthen mortal vessels that they possess, the bodies they take over will rapidly decay. It is also quite difficult for them to find paths to the mortal realm large enough for their essence to slip through. Major Demons Main Article: Major Demons Major demons are either former angels of middling power, or human souls who have gained enough power to reach this level. Major demons are truly powerful beings, and are capable of mighty feats of magic, including summoning powers capable of destroying one's very soul. Lesser Demons Main Article: Lesser Demons Lesser Demons come in two variants. Some of them were once low ranking angels who fell from grace, but most began as Lower Demons who were eventually able to rise to the rank. Some rare few souls, truly exceptional individuals, required so much effort to become corrupted that they began their demonic existence with the power of a Lesser Demons. Lesser Demons are more than a match for most mundane supernatural supernatural beings, though some do exist capable of overpowering them. They are easily capable of fully possessing most mortals, and effortlessly warp their bodies to match their true form. Minor Demons Main Article: Minor Demons Most Minor Demons are Lower Demons who were promoted to the rank to serve a master who had claimed them. A rare few manage to attain the power boost by slaughtering their fellows and devouring their essence. Even rarer still, some souls are resilient enough that they require a more extensive corruption, allowing them to absorb more negative energies, and start out with greater power. Minor Demons, unlike their Lower brethren, are capable of complex thought and speech, and vary in intelligence the same way humans do, with some being idiots, while others are shrewd and cunning. With their greater intelligence and willpower, Minor Demons are able to fully possess humans, to take over and even alter their bodies in order to match their true forms. Lower Demons Main Article: Lower Demons Lower Demons were once weak souls which, upon completing their corruption into a demon, lacked true sentience. They are so weak, that they have extreme difficulty overcoming the will of humans (with the process taking several days of mental assault for most) and are more likely to possess animals as a result. However, they are able to alter the bodies of their host to match their own forms, though this requires a large deal of effort. Within the Tartarian Planes, Lower Demons are constantly being mass produced, and are utterly disposable, being used to power rituals and as entertainment. Lower Demons are not intelligent enough to offer their allegiance to any other demon, and thusly, newly spawned ones can be claimed by any higher ranking demon. Bunches of them are occasionally raised to Minor Demon status when a relatively weak demon needs a large group of minions. Generally speaking, most human souls who are gathered and transformed into demons start off as Lower Demons. Physiology Allegiance Almost all demons are bound to demons of higher rank due to an ancient magical spell cast by the Demon Princes long ago. This effect allows for a demon to swear allegiance to a higher one, which grants the master demon a degree of control over the subservient one. They are able to infuse them with their own power, thereby raising them to any demonic rank that is bellow their own. Likewise, they are able to take that power away, and lower them down to their initial starting rank, but not lower. When one demon swears allegiance to another, that demon is also under the control of the master of whoever they themselves swore allegiance to, if they have one. Therefore, a demon also has control over any demon who has sworn allegiance to one of their vassals, allowing them to promote or demote them as they please. However, should the original master somehow die, any demons sworn to them will be without allegiance to anyone. The only other way to be free, besides their master's death, is for their master to release them from their service. Demons are also not able to swear allegiance whilst still bound to a master. Furthermore, Lower Demons are too unintelligent to swear allegiance to a master. Thusly, any higher ranking demon who happens upon them may claim their allegiance. Appearance Demons can appear in a variety of forms. Mostly, they are humanoid, due to the fact that most demons are formed from human souls, or were former angels. However, a demons form can be altered by the magic of their master to suit whatever needs they may have. Furthermore, the color of a demon's eyes will always match those of their ultimate master. For example, demons sworn to Baal or his minions have orange eyes, to Mephistopheles yellow, or to Lucifer red. Creation Demons are created in two ways. The more common version is that they are magically altered human souls. Depending on the willpower of the individual transformed, they will either be stripped down to the point where they loose their sentience, or in the cases of the truly iron willed, even remember certain aspects of their mortal lives. The more effort needed to transform a soul into a demon, the more powerful and intelligent the newly made demon will start out as. A number of more powerful demons are also former angels. They were created due to the magical processes they underwent in accordance to the will of their leaders, the Seven Demon Princes, in order to forever remove themselves from their angelic brethren. Immortality Demons are incapable of dying of old age, due to the fact that they are beings of pure magical power. However, they can still be killed by magic. Material Existence Demons, being creatures composed of Ethereal energy, are not able to properly exist in the material world. In order to do so, they must use one of two methods. Either construct a physical body for themselves out of Ethereal energy, or possess a living host. Furthermore, even getting into the material world poses an issue, as travel there requires a dimensional rift large enough for them to slip enough of their essence through in order to construct a body or possess one. Depending on how large the rift is, and therefore, how much essence can be sent through, a demon's powers will be limited whether or not they are possessing or creating a body. If the rift is extremely tiny, the demon might only be able to whisper in the dreams of mortals via performing an extremely weak version of possession, or perform a possession, yet not have enough energy to use any of their supernatural powers. Constructed Body Demons are able to use Ethereal energy in order to construct a physical form for themselves. However, maintaining that body requires a constant usage of that same energy. This energy also is what is used to fuel their powers, and repair their constructed bodies if they are damaged. Therefore, if the demon did not enter a large enough rift, they may not have been able to slip in enough of their essence to craft a body and fuel their abilities. However, remaining near an open rift will allow them to constantly resupply their form with fresh Ethereal power, allowing them to more easily sustain themselves. Furthermore, demons can also resupply their power stores by draining the life force of mortal creatures, or by feeding on their emotions, allowing them keep their form maintained. If a demon runs out of energy, either by time or by being forced to expend power to repair damage to it, they will be forced back to whatever Tartarian realm they emerged from. The Shadowform The Shadowform is a type of constructed body that is meant for a very temporary situation, usually only long enough for a demon to maintain their existence in the material world for a period that will enable them to locate a host. It is an amorphous form that is incapable of affecting the world in any way, and can pass through solid objects and fly through the air. Given how flimsy it is, the anchor it offers a demon in the material world is very weak, and as such, they can only use it to allow themselves to possess a host, nothing more. Furthermore, given how weak the anchor of the Shadowform is, it is laughably easy for mortal mages to banish back to their Tartarian realm. Possessed Body Demons are able to use their power to mentally dominate living beings and use their bodies to anchor themselves to the material world. This does not require as much energy as maintaining a physical body of their own does, since they are simply inserting themselves into one that is already in existence. The only energy that needs to be expended is minimal, which is simply used to suppress the mind of their host. Even the weakest, most unintelligent of demons is capable of overpowering the mind of an animal, whilst any feeble demon with human level intelligence can typically quash the mind of a human. Depending on the size of the rift through which the demon entered the material world, the amount of power they have will vary, from allowing them to simply to control their host, and nothing more, to allowing them full access to all their capabilities. Furthermore, with access to more energy, a demon is able to warp the body of their host to more match their own, suffusing it with their own infernal energies, which means less effort is required to suppress their host, and more importantly, that the body will be able to channel greater amounts of demonic power. Many more powerful demons are too strong for a mortal body to contain their full essence, and as such, they need to strengthen their hosts through magical means in order to be able to utilize their full might. If the demon is expelled, the host body will eventually return to its normal state, over a period of time dependent on how much demonic essence they were infused with. Furthermore, upon the death of their host, a demon will be forced out of their body, and will either have to rapidly craft a form for itself or be banished back to whatever Tartarian realm they emerged from. Power Increases Depending on the strength of the soul or former angel that was transformed into a demon, the starting power of a Tartarian will vary. This power can be increased in two ways; being the killing of other Ethereal beings, mostly fellow demons, or by being gifted greater power by one of their superiors. The former is a painstakingly slow process, as upon their death, a demon's essence will quickly disperse, meaning anyone trying to absorb it will only be able to acquire a small fraction of it. Being granted a boost in power by one's superior is far quicker, simply requiring them to infuse some of their own energy into their subservient, enabling the master to raise their minion up to the level below their own rank. Upon rising up a level, such as from Minor to Lesser, a demon will undergo a transformation, assuming a form and gaining powers which reflect their personality and mindset. However, if the demon is being promoted, it is possible for a sufficiently powerful superior to control the transformation, forcing them to become something that they desire. Powers and Abilities Demons have a huge variety of abilities, but there are some which they all have in common. Body Construction: Demons are able to use Ethereal energy to construct their own physical forms. Conventional Death Immunity: Demons cannot be killed by mundane, material means. Whilst in the mortal world, fire, bullets, blunt trauma, and other forms of damage may end up destroying their physical form or that of their host, it cannot cause the death of the demon. Emotional/Life Force Drain: Demons are able to feed on the psychic energy of human emotions, or drain their very life force. How this is accomplished might entail touching the victim and draining them, or it could involve simply instilling panic in a victim whilst being in close proximity. Immortality: Demons are unaffected by age, and will live forever until killed. Possession: Demons are able to forcibly take over the bodies and crush the minds of mortal beings. Weaknesses Demons all share a set of common weaknesses. Faith: Given that humanity was magically imbued with the power of faith by the angels after their war with the first demons, demons can be repulsed and damaged by acts of powerful belief. Merely being in the presence of someone who strongly believes in any form of higher power will pain and repulse weaker demons. Being touched by a faithful person can actively damage the demon, whilst those with truly powerful faith might expel them from their hosts with mere physical contact. * Exorcism: Certain rituals exist which can force a demon out of a body and send them directly back to the Tartarian realm they originated from. * Holy Items: Holy items, such as Bibles, Quarans, or especially holy artifacts, pain demons with their proximity, and when wielded, can be used to repel them, with the effects being more potent depending on the faith of the wielder. * Hallowed Ground: Sacred grounds, such as churches, mosques, or ancient tribal sites, are places all but the strongest of demons are unable to venture. Setting food there will either destroy their physical form or expel them from their host. Even powerful demons who can venture there feel extreme pain and discomfort when present. * Holy Iconography: Having religious icons, such as a crucifix, Star of David, or statue of the Buddha, within their presence, causes extreme discomfort to demons. Having it wielded against them will cause pain and repulse them, with the effects being more potent the more faithful the user is. * Holy Water: Holy water is like acid to demons, especially when in a constructed physical form. Contact with a body a demon has constructed will cause it to break down and melt, whilst when splashed against a host, it can scorch the demon within, though it cannot force them out of the body. Host Death: If a demon's host body is killed, they will be immediately forced out of it, and if they do not have sufficient energy to construct a physical form for themselves, they will be forced back to their realm that they previously left. Iron: Due to the fact that demons are beings composed purely of magical energy, the antimagic effects of iron are very painful for them. Its touch is painful for all demons, and wounds dealt by it can force some of the weaker ones out of their hosts. Osmium: Osmium is a metal that has strong repulsive properties to demons. The mere sight of it is painful to them for weaker demons, and its touch inflicts unspeakable agony, which is crippling to most. Demons are unable to cross any barriers made with osmium, though this is a difficulty they rarely encounter. Physical Form Destruction: If a demon's constructed physical form is destroyed, they will be forced back to the Tartarian realm they left to enter the material world. Category:Races